i whip my hair back and forth {give}

i made a decision.

and i'm not telling you about it so you can say 'OMG, rachel is a saint." i'm telling you so that in 5 months, i can't pretend i never said i'd do it.

i'm giving my hair to locks of love in the summer. (www.locksoflove.org)

deep breath.

okay, how do i say this without sounding conceited? i can't. i have hair that would be considered...uh, baller status. it's just good hair. in fact, when i tell jessica (my incredible hair stylist at mitchell's tri county) that we're cutting it off, she's going to kill me. sure, monday - friday my hair is pushed back with a headband and piled on the back of my head. and unfortunately, it finds it's way into a ponytail most weekends too. but if i actually take the time to do it, you'd probably say, "self, rachel has great hair."

my heart is racing even now just saying i'm giving it away. i'm waiting until summer because the minimum is 10 inches and that would give me a buzz cut right about now. i know it might sound silly, but the thought of cutting off my hair makes me feel like i'm losing a part of what makes me me (insert cheesy dramatic music). i know it's ridiculous.

i even thought to myself, just give something else away. but for some reason, i can't stop thinking about giving away my hair. so i researched it a little.

locks of love gives free hairpieces to individuals under the age of 21 who have lost their hair due to medical issues including lopecia areata, burns, cancer treatments, and skin disorders. in other terms, my hair would become a wig for a sick child.

that term sick child could make me give my left arm.

i have a soft spot for children. most people do, i realize that. but for me, it's just a little different. i spend most of my days with children that are not mine. maddi and izzi are two of my best friends and they're 6. i miss hope after i haven't seen her for a few hours. and my mornings with gus pretty much get me through the week.

and so i thought about people like me. people who are fortunate enough to have a child be so important in their lives, and i thought about that child battling an illness.

and i realized that the least i can do is give them my hair.

xx